Brian Lesser goes underground to open Tunnel

Brian Lesser, the nightlife impresario whose lengthy resume includes the Back Bay club Storyville, is set to open yet another nightspot. Called Tunnel, the subterranean spot below the W Hotel, opens Thursday, and Lesser has big hopes for the space, which he describes as an Ibiza-style dance club melding art, technology, and music. (The club occupies the elongated space that formerly was Descent.) “This is a throwback high-energy nightclub,” says Lesser. “We wanted to create an exciting and exclusive club capable of a wild party, but with an intimate feel.” The club features a sophisticated LED light system — which Lesser considers art in its own right — spanning the ceiling and including thousands of floating LED light fixtures and effects that will be synchronized to music. With two small children at home, and an ownership stake in a host of restaurants and clubs — Minibar, Tavern Road, Sweet Cheeks, Vine Brook Tavern, Bread & Butter, and, soon, Alden & Harlow in Harvard Square — we wondered why Lesser would want to get involved in another venture. “Have you seen the price of college?” he said.